I posted this blog awhile back but it’s relevance never seems to fade. So often I see people in their recovery journey who strive for things that are far out of reach for their exact place in their journey – making them feel like a failure and giving their eating disorder more space to continue to control them. If you are in the midst of your journey and looking to set goals to move you forward, keep reading!
I was reading an article this week that touches on setting realistic goals during recovery. You can read the article here. I think it is important if you read it because it touches on points that I see with clients every week. Goal setting is critical in recovery but more often than not people tend to believe that they need to be further along. The hope is that they can skip to the end without having to do the work in the middle. The hope, sadly, is never the reality.
The middle ground in eating disorder recovery is usually the hardest part. Often it’s the piece that focuses on recovering mentally from the grips of such a deadly and destructive disorder that can be the hardest. Common fears that if one is no longer engaging in eating disorder behaviors then they must be “fine.” It is beliefs like this that fuel unrealistic goals or that cause individuals to push harder for things that they aren’t quite ready for.
Recovery really is a step by step process. You have to learn to put one foot in front of the other in small, manageable steps. Use your desire to be well to focus on being patient with yourself and slowing things down so that each step is made with a steady, strong foot. Recovery is incredibly challenging at times and full recovery requires one to tackle the deepest darkest places of themselves on an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual level and so, as a client of mine said this week “when the going gets tough, don’t push harder, push softer.”
What goals are you going to set for yourself starting this week? Share them in the comment section below.